Turned away with Granchildren

Oh that would annoy! Bit unfair too, the nursery should have divided up into smaller groups.

Either bad manners by private nursery or bad planning by the library.

Well... I suppose it was an outing for the children to introduce them to the library? They have as much right as anyone to be there. As there are limited spaces maybe the library could ask them to pre book in future? Put on additional sessions? It would be annoying to continually be turned away.

I would think so, or at least they could be accommodated separately. When I worked with pre-schoolers back in college, I'd arrange field trips to libraries & museums, etc., by appointment.

Well I would assume the nursery and its staff are paid to take the children that morning?

Also assume the library story time is free?

On that basis I would be miffed too!!

I’d be very surprised if the nursery turned up out of the blue with that number of children - they’d have had to do a risk assessment, get permission from the parents to take them off site, inform the library staff they were coming...sounds like the library staff forgot or messed up with their planning somewhere. That must have been very disappointing for you - hopefully you’ll be able to go next week.

AS you're a regular at these sessions you're quite entitled to feel annoyed! What did the library staff, who presumably know and recognise you, have to say? Are the nursery staff planning to go regularly or was this a one-off? I'd certainly ask, it's upsetting for your grandchildren to be turned away from their outing.

It sounds like the library misplanned.

Is this the first time it happens?

Your gc could still have fun in the library, reading books or playing with legos.

*Well I would assume the nursery and its staff are paid to take the children that morning?

Also assume the library story time is free?

On that basis I would be miffed too!!*

I don't understand this post. Why does it matter if the staff are paid (of course they will be - they are at work, looking after the children)?

I'm also not sure why it's relevant that the nursery is private. There aren't many state ones, unless a lot has changed recently, and even if there were, anyone has a right to use public services.

The problem is the rule about numbers, and the fact that the library staff allowed so many nursery children in at once. Could you ask to speak to the librarian, if there is one?

Nowadays, a lot of libraries are staffed by untrained volunteers, so I'm not surprised that there are 'incidents'. This is said with no disrespect to those who volunteer, as without them many libraries would close, but it took years to train as a qualified librarian, and the role can't be filled properly by someone with no training at all. It is also a shame that so many well-qualified people can't find jobs, as it is assumed that anyone can do it, and do it for free.

In some ways, that is beside the point, although I suspect that it underlies your problem. Even if there is no librarian on the premises, someone must be in charge, so I would ask them if there is a way you can 'book' ahead, so that you don't waste your journey and disappoint your grandchildren.

Just what I was thunking, namsnanny, seems a bit unfair to me!

I work in a nursery and would of rang ahead to say we were going and would it be alright. We wouldn’t expect to upset anyone or take the regular children’s place, I would say it’s been bad management from the library not the nursery.

The library must have known they were coming, as previously said the nursery would have informed parents about an outing.

The library could have warned others at the previous session that spaces would be limited, unless it was short notice.

I think it was unfair of the nursery regardless of whether they rang ahead or not.

I have also seen commuters being left standing at the bus stop because a local school decided to bring twenty five kids somewhere at 8.45 in the morning.

A bit of common sense.......

My local library holds occasional sessions for several local preschools as well as regular weekly sessions for little ones and their parents or grandparents, but at different times of the day. This seems to work very well and all are very popular.

Did your DGC mind being turned away or were they unaffected? I would have felt very miffed in your place SisterAct if the children and you were looking forward to storytime.

It must be first come, first served. A bit too casual for my liking. I would ask if you could be warned in future!

Ooh this is definitely worth a stiff letter to the librarian. They should not allow one private nursery to hog 70% of the places at one session. The nursery should be set a much lower limit or PAY for their own session.

Schools are encouraged to take their pupils to activities in local libraries if they are fortunate enough to have one. The visit would have been pre-planned, with all the necessary paper work, risk assessment, parental permission etc in place, (unless private schools are exempt.)

The staff conduct rhyme time as part of their normal duties and are not paid extra for doing so.

The nursery school could have visited at a different time but only during opening hours, for different activities, but perhaps the whole point was to show them what was available in the library as a means of encouraging them to join. Most pre-schools do this.
If you don't pay for this rhyme time, and I doubt if you do, (I fundraise with others to provide equipment for the children to use during this and other activities and parents are not charged) you have no reason to object to any children, however they are educated, using this facility.

I am getting increasingly tired of the fundraising because the activities we organise, coffee mornings, quizzes, talks etc are never supported by the parents of these young children, and no offers of help either. At the initial 'Save the Library' meeting three hundred people attended; there are just eight of us who provide this. Virtually all the money goes to providing resources, and I would prefer to see a proportion spent on books, the main function of a library.

Just reading this and maybe the ratio of children to adults was a problem,I know when my GGD goes out with her nursery there has to be a certain amount of nurses with them.
Such a shame for your DGCs though.

Thats not on and I would complain to the library.

Rhyme time is so important to people who cant afford "paid for" groups or preschools etc. I would also complain to the nursery.

The nursery could do trips to the library without taking over rhyme time.

eazybee rhyme time should never charge money. There are dozens of paid for childrens groups. The point of rhyme time is 2 fold:

1. It provides a group for ALL KINDS of children, not just the ones whose parents can access paid groups
2. It introduces all kinds of children to the library, the aim is that they stay and read after, and frequent the library long after they have grown out of rhyme time.

The children whose parents cant or wont pay are the kind of children who need libraries the most.

Rhyme time should be for all kinds of children.

It also benefits disabled or mentally ill mums who cannot comit to a term of prepaid group, but who do want to get out and do things on their "good days"

I don’t think the point is about paying. IMO libraries should be places for people to read, study and research in peace.

Toddler groups, knit and natter or whatever should not be there if there is not a separate room for them so that they don’t disturb users.

It doesn’t matter if they pay - actually I think it would be worse if only paying groups were allowed- that would be entirely against the point of public libraries, which was to offer free reading resources to all.